Happy Mother's Day

You know that you are a Mom, when it is dark, cold and late in the evening, and you have a big report to finish for work the next day, with flashlight in hand, you are out the door, looking for your child's most favorite, can't go to sleep without it, toy. It was your 3 year old daughter's bedtime and Mr. Clown Bear was nowhere to be found. You knew she had it in her stroller on the mile and a half walk home from daycare. Then it hits you, somewhere on the streets between your house and daycare, was Mr. Clown Bear.

Out of all the toys my daughter ever owned, Mr. Clown Bear was her favorite. It was a gift from her Uncle when she was born. It was a white teddy bear with a cloth body covered in bright colored circles. It reminded us of a clown, hence the name.

Clown Bear went everywhere Elizabeth went. Over the years he would occasionally loose an arm or a leg, each time it would be reattached, ready to be hugged, loved and held again. It was like a security blanket. With clown bear in hand, all was right with the world ..... she felt safe.

Each day I would take the bus from work to Elizabeth's daycare, bundle her up, and begin the long walk home. It wasn't a straight path from school to home, but rather a series of lefts and rights, up and down all these charming little streets, all named after trees. I was going to have to backtrack to the school in hopes of finding this little 10 inch piece of white fur with polka dots. As much as Daddy wanted to help, he couldn't. He would not have known, which streets, where we crossed or on which side of the street we walked. It seemed like a futile endeavor, but with a teary eyed toddler clinging to her Daddy, crying out for clown bear in between the sobs, I had no choice.

20 minutes into the walk, my flashlight picks up something white. It is up on the lawn of a house, near the porch steps. Could it be? I held my breath and walked into the yard .... and yes, there it was, Mr. Clown Bear, a little bedraggled, arm dangling, but otherwise in good shape. I imagined that a dog or even a child had found it and then dropped it on the ground. With clown bear in tow, I raced home.

Daddy had been trying to calm her down with her favorite bedtime story, but I could still see the tears running down her little cheeks when I entered the room. Then there was the smile, the pure unadulterated joy of a child being reunited with her childhood friend. The look of relief on Daddy's face was pretty good too. Finally, she fell asleep, clutching clown bear. Once again, all was right with the world, she was safe. A little bit later, I gently pried Mr. Clown Bear loose and gave him a bath and fixed his arm. Usually I am a germ freak; however, for that night, it didn't matter how filthy the toy was, only that it had been found. A lesson for Mom, "Don't sweat the small stuff".

I love being a mom. True, my daughter now presents me with more complicated matters than a lost clown bear, but they are the usual things that make up a young woman's life. I would never trade a single moment of being a mom. I have loved them all, the good and the painful growing experiences, the boo-boo's mommy can't fix but will help make a little less painful by just being there. It is what moms do.

So Happy Mother's Day to you all. Happy Mother's Day to my Mom. Here is my favorite photo of her. She will kill me for posting it. Hi Mom. (She faithfully reads my blog) But I think she looks beautiful. Have a good day.